Alatau Air Cargo appoints new CEO
British executive Blair Pollock, who previously established Qazaq Air, takes the helm
Young Kazakhstani cargo carrier Alatau Air Cargo has announced the appointment of British executive Blair Pollock as its new Chief Executive Officer.
“His experience in building an airline from the ground up is particularly relevant as Alatau Air Cargo moves forward with the development of its operational capabilities and prepares for the next stage of its journey,” the carrier stated in a statement.
Pollock has been working in Kazakhstan since 2011. In 2015, he joined the country’s sovereign wealth fund, Samruk-Kazyna, and that same year took charge of Qazaq Air (now Vietjet Qazaqstan), a new regional carrier launched by the fund. He led the airline until 2019.
Samruk-Kazyna is also an indirect shareholder in Alatau Air Cargo through its ownership of Kazakhstan’s national railway operator, Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ). In October 2025, KTZ’s transport and logistics subsidiary, KTZ Express, registered the cargo airline KTZ Air Cargo following a presidential directive. In March 2026, private entity Turlov Private Holding acquired almost a 51% stake in the newly formed carrier, which was subsequently rebranded as Alatau Air Cargo.
The new carrier is expected to serve as Kazakhstan’s national cargo operator and begin flights this year using Boeing 767 or Airbus A330 freighters. The establishment of the airline aims to leverage Kazakhstan’s transit potential for air cargo flows between China and Europe.
